The sinister imperial figure hasn't been seen since the Battle of Lothal when he was transported to a distant corner of a faraway galaxy by the young Jedi Ezra Bridger in a selfless sacrificial act.
Relative unknown Eman Esfandi has been chosen to portray the character in live-action – spotted in a pre-recorded hologram in the Ahsoka trailer and in early episodes.
However, the sixth instalment sees us finally meet the live-action Ezra as he is reunited with his comrade Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Borziddo) - not long after the live-action debut of Thrawn himself.
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If you need some context on who Ezra Bridger is and why he's so important, read on for your Ahsoka primer.
Who is Ezra Bridger? Ahsoka's missing Jedi explained
We were introduced to Ezra Bridger in the first episode of Star Wars: Rebels, when he was fending for himself on the streets of his Empire-occupied home planet Lothal.
Though his parents had lovingly brought him up in his early years, they were imprisoned and ultimately killed by imperial forces as they cracked down on rebels and critics of the regime.
Ezra crossed paths with the ragtag crew of the Ghost when he boldly interrupted a heist they had planned, which caught the attention of Kanan – a former Padawan prior to Order 66, who never completed his Jedi training.
Kanan saw great potential in Ezra and took him on as his own Padawan, although disapproved of his reckless and unpredictable behaviour.
Over time, however, they became an effective partnership and Ezra a powerful force user himself, facing off against a number of Darth Vader's ruthless Inquisitors and fallen Sith Lord Darth Maul.
Sadly, Kanan later died in an attack by the Empire, with the Ghost crew's toughest battle still ahead of them.
Their activity had caught the attention of Grand Admiral Thrawn, a cold and high-ranking figure in the Empire, who would not rest until any trace of rebellion was stamped out.
What happened to Ezra Bridger in Rebels?
Things came to a dramatic end back on Lothal, where Thrawn and the Emperor confronted Ezra, seeking access to a mystical plain of existence called the World Between Worlds.
When he refused, an epic battle ensued in which the young Jedi and Thrawn became locked in combat.
In a noble final gesture, Ezra called upon the power of hyperspace travelling creatures called the purrgil to transport Thrawn's ship to an unknown point in a distant galaxy with both of them aboard.
In doing so, he eliminated the threat that the Grand Admiral posed, but became lost to his allies and loved ones forever. Or perhaps not, as Ahsoka will soon reveal.
What happens to Ezra Bridger in Ahsoka?
For the first five episodes of Ahsoka, Ezra Bridger remains absent while his other surviving comrades from Rebels all make appearances.
The person most keenly feeling Ezra's disappearance is his close friend Sabine Wren who begins to feel conflict about stopping Thrawn from being found by his acolytes - as such a discovery could also lead her to Ezra.
This faltering adds to Sabine's capture by Thrawn's followers and she joins them in journeying to another galaxy to find Thrawn.
In the sixth episode, titled 'Far, Far Away', Sabine is reunited first with the evil Grand Admiral Thrawn and he frees Sabine in an effort to have her track down Ezra - knowing he will plot both of their demises when they're found.
On Peridea, the ancient homeworld of the Dathomiri, Wren encounters dangers but soon comes across the planet's native people, the Noti.
Once among the Noti, Wren is led to their village and is finally reunited with Ezra after all this time.
It's an emotional reunion, but one fraught with danger as Wren was followed by the former Jedi Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) and his apprentice Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno).
Will the pair survive?
Who plays Ezra Bridger in Ahsoka?
Ezra Bridger is portrayed in Ahsoka by actor Eman Esfandi.
Esfandi is a relative unknown so to be cast in a beloved Star Wars role is no doubt a real win for him. However, Esfandi did have a small role in the gay romantic drama The Inspection, released in 2022.
Raised in Laredo, Texas, USA, Esfandi's mother and father were immigrants from Ecuador and Iran, respectively.
Ezra was previously voiced by actor Taylor Gray in the animated series Star Wars: Rebels.
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Ahsoka is available to stream on Disney Plus from Wednesday 23rd August 2023. New episodes weekly. Sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 for a year.
Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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